Toy gun



- B. OWEN.

TOY GUN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24. I920.

1,365,187. Patented Jam 11,1921.

. N ENTOR ERNABD QMIEN m a 32L ATTORNEYQ.

U a ir BERNARD OWEN, OF GBEENWIGH, LONDON, ENGLAND.

roY GUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11,1921.

Application filed April 24, 1920. Serial No. 376,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD OWEN, subject of .the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 31 South street, Greenwich, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in toy guns, or the like and is particularly intended to imitate or represent a machine or quick firing gun.

According to the invention, the apparatus is constructed for use with explosive caps formed in continuous strips. The device comprises a body portion or casing within or on which the firing mechanism, and the mechanism for feeding forward the explosive strip is mounted.

The firing mechanism comprises a striking hammer fixed to a spindle rotatably supported at the top of the casing and adapted to be moved rearwardly against the action of a spring by a cam mounted on one end of a cooking or crank-handle. The feeding mechanism comprises a slidable member having mounted thereon a spring controlled rocking pawl adapted to frictionally engage the explosive cap-strip when moved in one direction, and to slide freely over the surface of said strip when moved in the opposite direction. This slide, which is suitably guided in its movement carries a projecting member extending into the path of a second cam fixed to the cocking handle spindle. The cams on the spindle are so arranged that the striking hammer is first drawn back to firing position and thus releases the strip and the feeding mechanism is then moved forward to feed the strip forward the required distance, after which the hammer being returned to its normal position by its spring, the cap is fixed and the strip is gripped thereby during the return movement of the feeding mechanism to its normal position.

The casing or framing carries at its front end a barrel or the like which may be inclosed by an outer casing. The inner barrel carries on one side alongitudinal slot from which projects the operating member or handle of a spring-controlled ejector or plunger adapted to eject a bullet or the like from the barrel at or about the moment the explosive cap is fired. This ejector is drawn back byhand each time thecocking handle is rotated and the body or casing carries a pivotally mounted cam-plate or locking member adapted to engage the operating member of the ejector when the latter is drawn back to its rearmost position and is released by one of the cams on the cockinghandle spindle when the latter is rotated.

In order that the invention maybe readilyv understood T will now describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawthe opposite side to the view shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings 1 is the body or casing portion of the apparatus having at or near its lower end a chamber or inclosure 2 closed by a slidable or rotatable door or lid 3 pivoted to the casing at 4. 1 The chamber may be provided with a'central pin or stud 5 on which the continuous strip of explosive caps 6 in the form of a reelor spool is placed. The strip passes from the chamber 2 at or near the bottom thereof from whence it is guided upwardly by the side of the partition or wall 7 of the casing. Mounted adjacent the strip is the feeding mechanism comprising a vertically slidable member 8 having two or more projecting pins or studs 9 projecting from each side thereofand adaptedto move in vertical guide slots 10 formed in the side members of the casing. ()ne of said pins carries an extension 11 on the side projecting into the path of a rotatable cam 12 hereinafter described. Tlie slidable member 8 carries at its upper end a spring controlled feeding pawl or arm 13 pivoted at 14 to the slide 8 and arranged so that when the sliding member is moved upwardly, the outer free end of the pawl frictionally engages the capstrip 6 and carries same with it during its upward movement. The pawl 8 lies in such a position that when engaging the strip, its.

free end is in a slightly higher plane than ts pivoted end as shown in Fig. 2, thus causing a wedge-like engagement with the strip during i itsupward movement, while duringv the downward movement of the slidable member, the pawl 13 slides freely over the surface of the strip. The pawl 13 is normally maintained in engagement with the cap-strip by a spring 15 secured to the sliding member, while the latter is normally maintained in its lowermost position by a spring 8 The means for exploding or firing the caps in the cap-strip 6 comprises a striking hammer 16 fixed to a spindle 17 rotatably mounted between the rearwardly extending side member of the casing 1. One end of the spindle 17 carries two laterally projecting arms 18 and 19. The arm 18 has attached to its end a spring 20 secured at its opposite end to the casing 1 at 21, While the arm 19 has an outwardly projecting extension 22 lying in the path of a cam 23.

The forward end of the body or casing 1 is provided with a barrel or the like 24, which may, if necessary, be inclosed or partially inclosed by an outer casing 25 to represent a water jacket. Mounted within the barrel 24: is an ejector or plunger 26 normally maintained toward the forward end of the barrel by a spring 27 encircling the rod or the like 28 pivotally or otherwise attached to the plunger. The rear end of this rod is formed with or has attached thereto an outwardly projecting operating handle or arm 29 projecting through a longitudinal slot 30 formed in one of the side members of the body or casing 1. This slot is inclined upwardly toward its rear end as shown in Fig. 1, and at its extreme end is provided with a lateral extension 31 into which the operating handle or arm 29 is moved when the plunger is drawn back to its most rearward position to be retained thereby. Mounted adjacent the slot 31 is a freely rotatable cam-plate or the like 32 pivoted at 33 to the casing. The upper end of the camplate has a curved cam face 34 adapted to engage the operating handle 29 when rotated. The lower portion of the cam-plate has a downwardly and outwardly projecting extension 35 lying in the path of the cam 12 while its movement about its pivot is limited by a guide or gate 36.

The barrels 24: and 25 are provided with a recess or aperture 37 arranged immediately in front of the plunger 26 when the latter is moved to its rearward position and serves to enable a bullet or projectile to be inserted into position to be ejected from the barrel by the release of the ejector.

The cams 12 and 23 for operating the firing mechanism, the feeding mechanism for the cap-strip and the ejector are mounted fixedly on a spindle or shaft 38 mounted rotatably in the body of the casing. One end of the spindle has secured thereto a cockinghandle or crank-handle 39 by means of which it may be rotated. The cams 12 and.

23 are so arranged relatively to one another that on rotation of the cocking handle 39 in the direction indicated by the dotted line and arrows in Fig. 1, the cam 23 first engages the arm 22 of the striking hammer spindle 17 and commences to move the hammer rearwardly toward its firing position and thereby releasing the strip 8 after which the cam 12 engages the extension 11 of the vertically sliding member 8 to move the same upwardly to feed the cap-strip forward.

The base of the casing 1 is provided with a screwed stud or pin or the like 40 to which a tripod or other suitable form of gun mounting 11 may be secured. The top rear portion of the casing is provided with a suitable recess or aperture through which the spent strip passes, while the body may further have attached thereto a screen or the like 42.

he operation of the apparatus is as follows The cap strip is placed in position on the pin or studs 5 within the chamber 2, the end of said strip bein fed upwardly between the feeding paw l 13 and the frame member 7 and between the latter and the striking hammer 16, the strip being adjusted until the head of the hammer engages one of the explosive caps formed in the strip. The apparatus is now ready for firing.

On rotation of the cocking-handle 39 attached to the spindle 38, the cam 23 first engages the projection 22 on the end of the arm 19 of the spindle 17 to draw back the striking hammer 16. This movement of the hammer releases the strip 8 and enables same to be fed forward by the feeding mechanism. The extension 11 of the sliding member 8 is now engaged by the cam 12 and moved upwardly. The spring controlled pawl frictionally engages the capstrip 6 and carries the latter with it during its upward movement, whereby the strip is fed forward through the distance between two caps in the cap-strip. On further rotation of the cocking handle the top of the cam 23 releases the striking hammer which is returned by the spring 30 to fire the cap. On the cocking-handle being slightly further rotated, the cam 12 releases the sliding member 8 which is returned by its spring 8 and during said movement the spring controlled pawl 13 slides freely over the cap strip, the latter being now retained against movement by the striking hammer 16. The cocking-handle is now further rotated and, the cam 12 engages the extension 35 of the pivotal cam-plate 32 rotating same in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1.

This movement causes the cam face 34: to engage and move upwardly the operating handle of the ejector until said handle registers with the longitudinal inclined slot 30 whereby the plunger is freed and is forced outwardly by the spring 27, to eject the bullet or projectile previously inserted into the aperture 37. The operation is continued as will be readily understood, the plunger 26 being drawn back by hand to rengage the slot 31.

The operating mechanism may, if necessary, be entirely inclosed within the body portion of the casing.

It will be readily understood that various modifications in the details of construction the sequence of operations and arrangements of parts may be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

I claim 1. In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strip, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction and to slide freely over them in the other direction, mechanism for firing the caps, mechanism for ejecting a projectile and a rotatable crank or cocking handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms.

2. In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strip, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction and to slide freely over them in the other direction, a hammer for firing the caps, a spring controlling this hammer, mechanism for ejecting a projectile and a rotatable crank or cocking-handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms, a spindle to the cocking-handle, a cam on this spindle, and a projection on the spring controlled hannner adapted to be engaged by the cam to move the hammer to the firing position.

3. In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strip, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction and to slide freely over them in the other direction, mechanism for firing the caps, a spring controlled plunger in the barrel of the gun, a handle movable in a longitudinal slot, a cam to release the plunger so as to eject a projectile after the feeding mechanism has been released, and a rotatable crank or cocking-handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms.

In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strips, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction and to slide freely over them in the other direction, a hammer for firing the caps, a spring controlling this hammer, a spring controlled plunger in the barrel of the gun, a handle movable in a longitudinal slot, a cam to release the plunger so as to eject a projectile after the feeding mechanism has been released, and a rotatable crank or cocking-handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms, a spindle to the cocking handle, a cam on this spindle, and a projection on the spring controlled hammer adapted to be engaged by the cam to move the hammer to the firing position.

5. In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strip, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction, and to slide freely over them in the other direction, mechanism for firing the caps, a spring controlled plunger in the barrel of the gun, a handle connected to the plunger, a slot in the body or casing and a recess in the end of this slot in which the handle on the plunger engages, a rotatory cam-plate adapted to release the handle from the recess in the slot in which it engages so as to eject a projectile after the feeding mechanism has been released and a rotatable crank or cocking-handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms.

6. In a toy gun for firing explosive caps arranged in continuous strips, a vertically slidable member, a spring to control said member, a spring controlled pawl on the slidable member adapted to engage the cap strip, to feed the caps, when moved in one direction and to slide freely over them in the other direction, a hammer for firing the caps, a spring controlling this hammer, a spring controlled plunger in the barrel of the gun, a handle connected to the plunger, a slot in the body or casing and a recess in the end of this slot in which the handle on the plunger engages, a rotatory cam-plate adapted to release the handle of the plunger from the recess in the slot in which it en- 'ages so as to eject a projectile after the feeding mechanism has been released and a rotatable crank or cocking-handle adapted to operate the three mechanisms, a spindle to the cocking handle, a cam on this spindle, and a projection on the spring controlled hammer adapted to be engaged by the cam to move the hammer to the firin position.

BERNARI? OWEN. 

